Projectile



Nav. l0, 1936. R. w. HIPPEN E'r Al.

PROJECTILE Filed `July 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Skiset 1VK INVENTORS K' am-4.

@fd Z j NOV. 10, 1936. R, HlppENE-r AL 2,060,213

PROJ EGTILE Filed July 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V v INVENTORS y' @IMJ Patented Nov. 10,Y 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROJECTILE Ralph W. Hippen and Louis T. Barnes, Oklahoma City, Okla.; said Barnes assignor to said Hippen Application July 9, 1934, Serial No. 734,258

6 Claims.

but it is to be distinctly understood that the features described and claimed are useful in projectiles other than toy projectiles and the invention may be otherwise variously embodied.

The particular specific embodiment of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings is a toy projectile of the type adapted to be projected into the air and having an openable casing the opening of which is controlled by gravity actuated means. A parachute is contained within the casing and Ais adapted to be released or discharged when the casing opens and is connected with the casing in such manner as to prevent the same from falling freely and to support it during descent. Certain features of the invention, however, as will presently become apparent, are independent of whether or not a parachute is carried within the casing. 'I'he invention has to do particularly with means for controlling the flight of the projectile and insuring opening of the casing approximately at a predetermined point in its flight.

Toys" comprising casings containing parachutes adapted to be released in flight and to support the casings upon descent are not new. Numerous toys of this character have heretofore been proposed. The particular problem encountered in the manufacture of toys, or other projectiles, of this character is insuring opening of the casing or release of the parachute at the desired point in the flight of the projectile. Various devices have heretofore been proposed for this purpose,

This invention relates broadly to projectiles, and

Most attempts at providing projectiles of the character in question have embodied means intended to be actuated by gravity at a predeter-A mined point in the flight of the projectile to control opening of the casing or release of the parach'ute. Projectiles of this type have been fashioned in Various shapes, such as arrows, human figures, etc., and have been designed to be projected into the air with a predetermined portion of the projectile forward as, for example, the point of the arrow or the feet of the human ligure, such portion being weighted to cause the projectile to move with its axis substantially tangent to the trajectory throughout its flight and' to eliminate end for end turning of the projectile. These projectiles have been provided with means, such as a ball or a counterweight, intendedto be actuated by gravity upon a change in the inclination of the projectile to permit release of the parachute. For example, in one attempt a ball operable in a tube was utilized, the ball operating a latch permitting opening of 'the casing when moved to one end of the tube. This end of the tube would be forward as the projectile is projected into the air and at or approximately at the high point in the trajectory the tube would be turned so that the latch end would be downward. However, at the high point in the trajectory the projectile would tend to parta-ke of the characteristics of a freely falling body as its nose or forward portion would be downward and it would tend to plummet down to the ground. But one of the characteristics of freely falling bodies is that all such bodies, eliminating air friction, fall with the same acceleration. Therefore, in the type of construction just referred to the casing and the ball Would both fall with substantially thesame acceleration and the ball would not move d ownward in the tube far enough or with suflicient acceleration relative to the casing to actuate the latch. The ball might move part way through the tube but not far enough to actuate the latch. It might move all the way through the tube to the latch but not strike the latch with sufficient force to actuate it. vThe ball might actuate the latch but after such a long time that the projectile would be nearing the ground and the desired effect would be entirely lost. The gravity actuated mechanism for actuating the latch might operate at times possibly due to swaying or turning of the projectile which would by centrifugal force throw the ball out against the latch, but in ordinary operation devices of this character are, to all intents and purposes, inoperative and useless for the purpose intended. We have proved this by actual demonstration with Working models.

We have provided a projectile which overcomes the defects, disadvantages and uncertainties of the projectiles referred to above. We provide means for controlling the ight of the projectile so as to insure operation of the gravity actuated means for operating the latch permitting opening of the casing. We control the flight of the projectile so that at the high point in its trajectory the force of gravity acting on the projectile and tending to cause it to plummet down is counteracted at least to a sufficient extent to permit the latch actuating ball to move downwardly in the tube under the force of gravity so as to actuate the latch. In other words, we provide against the projectile assuming or approximately assuming the characteristics of a freely falling body at or immediately after the high point in its trajectory. Our projectile has a very definite tendency against falling, and in fact tends to move generally horizontally for a time at least, giving ample opportunity for gravity actuation of the latch permitting opening of the casing and release of the parachute. The casing is supported by the parachute during falling and the construction is such that the means connecting the casing with the parachute closes the casing to cause the falling toy to have a more pleasing appearance than if the casing should remain open.

We preferably provide on the casing means preventing the casing from falling freely when projected into the air or means tending to counteract the tendency of the force of gravity to cause the casing to fall freely in flight. In the particular preferred embodiment of the invention selected for the purposes of description and illustration the casing assumes the shape of an airplane having oppositely disposed wings and a rudder, the casing being hinged along the center line of the fuselage at the bottom and being latched at the top and having gravity actuated means for operating the latch to control opening of the casing. When the casing opens the two opposite winged sections tend to fall away from one another, permitting the parachute to emerge from within the casing. The casing is then closed and supported by the parachute during falling, as above stated.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention, in which Figice 1 is a perspective view of a toy projectile;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view to enlarged scale through the projectile shown in Figure 1, taken on the line II-II of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a Vertical transverse cross-sectional view through the projectile, taken on the line III- III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the projectile in a different operative position and, together with Figure 2, illustrating operation of the latch;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing how the projectile is opened and the parachute released; and

Figure 6 is a plan view showing the projectile supported by the parachute during falling.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a projectile fashioned in the form of an airplane designated generally by reference numeral 2 comprising a hollow sheet metal casing 3 made up of opposed halves 4. The opposed halves of the casing are hinged together at 5 at a point corresponding to the bottom center line of the fuselage and each carries a wing 6. A rudder 'I is also provided for insuring movement of theprojectile substantially straight ahead. The forward part of the rudder is provided with a hook 8 for a purpose to be presently described.

Carried by the right-hand half 4 of the casing is a bracket 9 to which is pivoted at I0 a latch I I having the shape shown in Figure 2. The latch I I is provided with a latching projection I 2 adapted to cooperate and lie to the left, viewing Figure 3 of a keeper I3 connected with the left-hand half 4 of the casing. The two positions of the latch Il are shown respectively in Figures 2 and 4, in the former of which it is inoperative and in the latter operative to maintain the casing closed.

Mounted within the right-hand half of the casing viewing Figure 3, in longitudinal alignment 'with the latch II is an inclined tube I4. Within the tube is a freely movable ball I5. The forward portion of the tube is slotted, as shown at I6, to permit the lower portion of the latch II to pass therethrough, this serving the double function of providing a guide for the latch and enabling the latch to move into cooperative relationship with the ball I5 so as to be operated thereby.

Adapted to be carried within the hollow casing 3 is a parachute Il of usual construction which is connected with the casing by a line I8. The line I8 passes through a hole I9 in the right-hand half of the casing and then is connected with an eye 20 in the left-hand half. Mounted within the forward portion of the casing is a plate 2| to keep the parachute back from the nose of the casing and insure against fouling of the latch by the parachute.

In preparing the projectile for use the parachute is folded in such manner that upon opening of the casing it may readily be discharged therefrom so as to open up and support the casing during falling and is then inserted into the casing, preferably with the line I8 beneath it as shown in Figure 2, so that when the casing opens the line will not be in the Way and will permit proper release and opening of the parachute. Before closing the casing it is held in such position that the ball I5 is forward against the latch II to hold the latch in inoperative position as shown in Figure 2. The opposite halves of the casing are then pivotally moved about the hinge 5 to closed position, whereupon the casing is tilted back to the position shown in Figure 4. The ball I 5 moves to the end of the casing due to the force of gravity and the latch II moves to latched position, also due to the force of gravity. The casing is now latched closed with the parachute inside it and is adapted to be projected.

The projectile is projected by any suitable means such, for example, as a Slingshot having a resilient projecting device such as a rubber band, which is adapted to be received by the hook 8, whereupon the projectile is drawn back to stretch the rubber band and is then let go and projected by the rubber band up into the air. The projectile is preferably projected upwardly at a fairly steep angle, as indicated in Figure 4, although this angle may be varied as desired. During upward movement yof the projectile theball is maintained at the rear end of the tube I4 and the latch is maintained in operative position by gravity and inertia. The rudder tends to maintain the projectile on a straight course and as the projectile nears the apex of its ilight it tends, by reason of being somewhat heavy in the nose and by reason of its design to simulate an airship, to level oi and ily, at leastlvfor a time, generally horizontally rather than immediately turning its nose downwardly and plummeting to the ground.

The wings 6r are, as shown in the drawings, made as airfoils. tending tocounteract to a'certainex# tent at'least'the tendency of gravity toturn'the nose of the projectile downwardly.l Thus the lforce of 'gravity is counteracted bythe wingsat least to a suilicient extent to cause thecasing to hover inthe air or move generally horizontally in substantially the' `position shown 'inw Figure '2.

giving the ball il an opportunity tofmove downj.- j 4wardly and forwardlyin the tube i4 andfactuate' .1 theV latch to inoperative position as shown in Figi-- ure 2. -"Ihis/permitsthe opposite halves of the casing to open, opening thereof possibly being assisted by outward pressure of the parachute and a tendency of the wings to fall away from one another and permitting release of the parachute. The parachute opens up and, as it is connected with one-half of the casing at 2li and threaded through a -hoie I9 in the other half, it immedi-v ately closes the casing, as indicated in Figure 5,

and supports it' during fallingk as 'shownin Figure 6.

We nd that for best results the tube I4 should have approximately the inclination shown, that is to say, in the neighborhood of 45 to the longitudinal axis of the casing. When the projectile is thus designed it is found that the ball moves forward and operates the latch approximately at the apex of flight, thus affording a maximum of amusement and enjoyment with the use of the device. The device has actually been operated and tested and is found to be extremely reliable 'winged airship having a parachute thereon adapted to check ythe fall thereof and having .gravity actuatedmeans controlling opening. ther`e. of, and means `ilor closing -the projectilevduringvfalling..l

2. A proiectile comprising "an openable casing havingl a parachute therein adapted to check the fall thereof and .having gravity aotuated-`means controllingopening thereof, and means forjclosfing the casmgnuring falling.'

3..A projectile y,comprising an openablecasing havingfa parachute lthereinadapted to check the '--fall-v thereofand having inea-ns tending to counteract the tendency 'of the, force of gravity-to fall freely in ilight. and means for closing the casing during falling.

4. A projectile comprising an openable casing having a parachute therein adapted to check the fall thereof and means cooperating with portions of the casing at opposite sides .of the opening for closing vthe casing during falling. I

1-5.A vprojectile comprising an openable casing havinga parachute therein adapted to check the fall thereof, the parachute being connected with portions of the casing at opposite sides of the opening so as to close the casing during falling. 6. A projectile comprising a hinged openable casing, a parachute, and means connecting the parachute to the casing cooperating with opposed portions of the casing so as to close the same when falling while supported by the parachute.

, RALPH W. HIPPEN.

LOUIS T. BARNES.

Ccause the casing with the parachute within it to 

